Just last year the Cincinnati Reds were the joke among MLB fans, starting the season atrociously with a 3-22 record, and ultimately finishing with the third-worst record in the entire league. This was the outcome of the Reds’ management losing all-star caliber players Jesse Winker, Luis Castillo, and Nick Castellanos. The Reds went into the 2023 season with little to no expectations as their roster appeared better suited to play in the minor leagues than to compete in the NL Central, a very tough division. With such little hope, this season could be anything but a success… right? Maybe not.
Promising Young Pitching Rotation
It wasn’t all dire for the Reds at the start of 2023, as they did have a great young pitching rotation with future stars in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft. Although the starting rotational pitchers had some success, the relieving pitchers lost the Reds multiple games right off the bat. These avoidable losses led to the Reds having a mediocre start with a record of 18-22. While the season wasn’t going all that badly, it was nothing special. It was not a completely lost season just yet, so the Reds decided to capitalize on it.
Matt McLain’s Immediate Impact
The Reds’ first move was to call up one of their top young prospects, shortstop Matt McLain, from the minor leagues. McClain was dominating triple-A baseball for the Louisville Bats and seemed ready to enter “The Show.” Through McLain’s first month in the big leagues, he was already one of the best hitters in baseball with a batting average of .328. McLain was the first piece to a future contending Reds team. However, he was not the answer to fix all the Reds’ struggles as he is only a single player. After a month of him on the roster, the Reds were still hovering over the .500-win percentage.
Gaining Momentum
Along with McLain, the Reds called up a few more of their pitching prospects to start a new era of baseball in Cincinnati. Notable pitchers called up include Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson. While not intending to rush the development of these young players, the Reds management was also aware of the potential negative consequences of waiting too long to call them up. Although Cincinnati finally had some hope, they were still lacking enough firepower on their team which could prevent them from making a playoff push.
Elly De La Cruz: A Game Changer
Last week, the Reds decided that it was time to call up ESPN’s number one prospect in the entire MLB, Elly De La Cruz. In 2018, the Reds signed 16-year-old De La Cruz as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. For over a year, Reds fans had been impatiently waiting for De La Cruz to be called up as he was the most hyped-up prospect not just for the Reds, but for the entire league. De La Cruz is a 6 ‘5” switch-hitting infielder and often called a unicorn. His raw power, arm strength, and superhuman speed, at once made him a player that pitchers would fear. In his first game in the majors, De La Cruz shocked the world by hitting a 112-mph double which was the hardest hit of the season. He followed it up the next day by hitting a 458-foot homerun in which the ball almost left the stadium. It has only been a week since De La Cruz was called up, yet he is already doing incredible things in the MLB. Fans and opposing pitchers can only anticipate the rise of Elly De La Cruz, a future potential MVP candidate for years to come.
While much of their season up to this point has been mediocre, the Reds are finally starting to break out and create a name for themselves. They are currently riding a five-game winning streak, the highest in the MLB, along with winning five of their last six series. The Reds have been nothing but must-see TV as of late, and being only 1.5 games back in the NL Central, they could potentially turn this momentum into a playoff push.
Third Down With Devin 